Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 409 The Ferocious Demon of the South China Sea, the Evil Ghost and the Vengeful Spirit

A whirlwind that dispels yin.

Cheng Xinzhan felt no pride, only relief that he had arrived at the right time.

If he had arrived a moment later, Zhaoming's life would have been safe, but he would likely have suffered a severe injury. In this era of great strife, if he were to go into seclusion after such an injury, the world might have changed drastically by the time he emerged, perhaps twenty or thirty years later. This would be irrelevant to those who practice asceticism or seclusion, but Cheng Xinzhan was certain that if it were Zhaoming, he would consider this absence a lifelong regret.

Fortunately, I had made some progress in the Void Technique. I traveled down the Zhongjiang River from Baiyun Mountain and just past Humen when I saw a big commotion. When I got closer, I found that Zhaoming was trapped and was being struck by Yin lightning. I was able to catch up with him by flying across the void for the last part of the distance.

In addition, the feather fan of the Demon Ancestor of Wumeng Mountain was unexpectedly useful, which was a bargain for me.

"Who are you?!"

The demons from the four realms in front of Cloud Ladder Mountain asked a question.

Cheng Xinzhan did not answer, but instead took out the red gourd, opened the stopper, poured out the lava, and let it fall onto the magic net that was binding Shen Zhaoming behind him.

This demonic net is clearly a ghostly artifact. For such a thing, there is no need to use immortal fire or evil fire; simply pouring out golden yang fire is enough to repel the enemy.

Yang Fire is a technique that Cheng Xinzhan has been using since the beginning of his cultivation. However, just like magic weapons, the same thing can have vastly different effects when used by people at different levels of cultivation. This is related to the depth of one's magical power, one's understanding of the fire's intent, and one's daily nurturing of the spiritual fire.

In terms of Cheng Xinzhan's current realm, his Golden Core has reached perfection and blossomed, his life embryo has sprouted and transformed, and his magical power has reached a completely new level. Although it is not as pure as the magical power of the Divine Illumination Realm or even the magical power after undergoing the Three Calamities, it is by no means comparable to the Three Realms. In particular, with his Golden Core at perfection and his current life embryo at perfection, where in the Four Realms would one find such an opportunity? Therefore, compared to ordinary minor sects and unorthodox sects, his magical power is now no less than that of the Four Realms.

His understanding of fire is beyond question. He possesses more than ten kinds of spiritual fire, having comprehended their powerful and unpredictable nature. Based on the "Burning" incantation, he has successively comprehended the meanings of various other incantations such as "Zhao," "Purify," and "Extinguish," reaching a level of mastery and consummate skill in the art of fire. As for the cultivation of his spiritual fire, few in the world have had such an opportunity. Internally, a fire spirit resides within his heart; externally, he possesses the naturally formed and nurtured gourd magic treasure. The more than ten kinds of spiritual fire are mixed together, tempering and refining each other day and night, their quality improving with each passing day.

Therefore, when the Yang Fire was poured onto the Demon Net, the Demon Net, like skin that had been scalded, immediately curled up and wrinkled, and the skulls hanging inside the net all let out painful screams.

Cheng Xinzhan was skilled in controlling fire. The Yang Fire only clung to the Demonic Net and did not harm Shen Zhaoming. However, the roar of thousands of skulls injured the Taoist who was in the middle of the Demonic Net quite badly. Cheng Xinzhan saw blood flowing from his ears.

"Yang Fire?!"

The four demons were startled and quickly waved their hands. The demon net then released Shen Zhaoming, shrunk rapidly, and then transformed into a streak of black light and flew back.

Seeing this, how could Cheng Xinzhan let this magical treasure with a human skull slip away right under his nose? With a flick of his sleeve, a streak of azure light flew out. The azure light was extremely fast, swimming in the air like a blue dragon. With a few flicks of its tail, it intercepted the magical net and wrapped it around him.

After Qinghong became entangled in the magic net, it suddenly contracted, binding the magic net into a black ball of fur. At this moment, Qinghong also revealed its true form, which turned out to be a blue vine.

After being trapped, the magic net began to tremble violently and then rapidly expanded, trying to break the vines.

However, that demon was overthinking things. No matter how extraordinary his demonic net was, it was just an ordinary embryonic organ. However, Cheng Xinzhan's dragon rope was forged from the fourth-realm avatar of the Dragon Bathing Staff, and it was itself a fourth-realm pseudo-dragon demon vine. How could it possibly be broken by the demonic net?

No matter how the magic net changed, the vines remained unmoved, locking it tightly and preventing it from escaping.

"Photography!"

Cheng Xinzhan held up the gourd, facing the magic net, and recited a spell.

Then, as if obeying a command, a powerful force seized control of the demonic net, working in conjunction with the vines to firmly lock it shut and pull it into the gourd. Cheng Xinzhan then plugged the gourd shut, and there was no more movement inside.

Upon seeing this, the demon from the fourth realm opposite him was struck dumb, his eyes wide with disbelief. He couldn't believe that one of his most cherished treasures had been taken away so easily. Didn't the green-robed man say that only the old Taoist priest from Mount Luofu was here? And that the Hu brothers had even killed him? So who was this young Taoist priest? Wasn't capturing the Pure Bright Taoist priest supposed to be his debut, his battle to make a name for himself? How come it now seems like he's the one adding luster to his debut?
"Who are you?!"

The demon's voice became much sharper.

Cheng Xinzhan still didn't answer, but simply dismounted from the lion, then patted the lion, signaling it to take the freed Shen Zhaoming away.

The lion understood and opened its mouth to snatch Shen Zhaoming, but under the watchful eyes of everyone, Shen Zhaoming refused to let the lion take him; he wasn't completely unable to move. Without a word, he sheathed the sword that had just flown back and left without looking back, heading towards Hengmen Waterway.

The lion didn't seem to mind that it hadn't caught anyone, and simply followed along. Now, things had changed on the battlefield. The demons of Yunti Mountain were retreating through Hengmen Waterway. Shen Zhaoming's return to Hengmen Waterway was like going against the flow of enemy forces. Given his current condition, he would likely be in danger if he were alone.

At this time, two magical treasures from across the Lingdingyang also arrived.

As the nine leaves drew nearer, they became clearly visible; they were nine calamus leaves, resembling nine emerald green sword blades. The nine leaves came to Cheng Xinzhan's side, converged together, shimmering with a blue light, and condensed into a transparent, illusory human figure.

This person has a youthful face and white hair, clearly having mastered the art of health preservation. He wears a hemp robe, straw sandals, and a Taoist headscarf, and is a highly accomplished person with a dignified and otherworldly air.

"So it's Mr. Guangfa who's here."

The figure smiled and bowed to Cheng Xinzhan.

Cheng Xinzhan returned the greeting. He had also seen the Nine-Leaf Iris fly out of Silver Bottle Mountain, so he could naturally guess the identity of his master. He returned the greeting and said,

"Greetings, Master Shizheng. My sect leader asked me to convey his greetings to you."

The old Taoist priest nodded with a smile.

"Thank you for your concern, Master Zhiyi." At that moment, the crimson flying fork that had flown out from Nine Dragon Mountain arrived right behind it, transforming into a human form beside the Fourth Realm demon. This human was a burly, imposing giant, over eight feet tall, with a broad back, a lion's face, and eagle's eyes, his red hair billowing in the wind. Beside him, the newly born Fourth Realm demon looked like an inconspicuous black monkey.

However, rumors suggest that the two villains in the South China Sea are twin brothers who look exactly alike, and it is unknown who the newcomer is.

The two sides confront each other.

After greeting Cheng Xinzhan, Zou Shizheng looked at the black monkey-like demon opposite him, his face immediately darkening, and he shouted,
"You beast! You disappeared five hundred years ago. I thought you had killed yourself while practicing your skills. I never expected you would still have the nerve to survive in this world!"

Then, he whispered an explanation to Cheng Xinzhan.
"Sir, this fiend is a notorious demon from the South China Sea named Qiu Po, also known as 'Evil Demon,' a cruel and bloodthirsty fiend. This demon cultivates around Penghu Island, appearing and disappearing without a trace, always raiding and killing along the Lingnan coast; he is incredibly powerful. However, five hundred years ago, he suddenly vanished without a trace. I thought he had died from a cultivation mishap, but I never expected him to reappear and wreak havoc."

On the other side, Qiu Po, having been on the scene for quite some time and exchanged several blows with his opponent, had already asked twice who the other was, but the opponent neither answered nor asked any questions in return, which had left him feeling quite frustrated. Seeing that someone had finally recognized him, he was overjoyed and laughed heartily, replying...
"You jest, you old Taoist priest. How could practicing martial arts kill a person? Five hundred years ago, I was merely seeking tranquility after excessive activity, and went into seclusion to overcome a calamity. Now that my divine skills are complete, and seeing the rise of my demonic path, I've finally emerged from seclusion for a stroll. I'm sorry to have troubled you with your concern, hahaha—"

Cheng Xinzhan frowned upon hearing this. Five hundred years ago? That timeframe sounded familiar. Five hundred years ago, there were far more powerful demons than there are now. However, two formidable figures emerged during that time: Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang Mountain and the Long-Browed Ancestor of Emei Mountain. One traveled from east to west, the other from west to east, wiping out all the demons across the land. Anyone who dared to show themselves met a terrible end; the demons they killed either sealed off their mountains to protect themselves or fled overseas.

However, these two powerful figures dealt with demons in different ways. Zhang Sanfeng would kill them without burying them, while the Long-Browed Patriarch would beat the demons half to death, confiscate their magical treasures, and then find a place to seal them away.

In recent decades, demons sealed by Changmei have emerged one after another, all of whom were powerful figures from five hundred years ago.

Thinking of this, he opened his mouth and asked,

"Were you sealed away by Long-Browed Demon?"

The demon's laughter abruptly stopped, his smile freezing and turning extremely sinister. He replied,
"You long-browed villain! You sealed off my cave while I was in seclusion. What kind of hero are you!"

The devil cursed a string of vulgarities, then a smug smile appeared on his face as he said,

"Little did he know that I had been hesitant about facing the disaster. When he came to seal my cave, I had nothing to do and nowhere to go. This actually strengthened my resolve to face the disaster on the spot and successfully overcome it. It was a blessing in disguise for me."

The demon bowed slightly to the west and then said...

"Now, thanks to the Great Sage of Eclipse, I, Old Ghost, have been saved and returned to the world. Hehe, I see that the younger generation doesn't even know my name, Evil Ghost. If I don't come out and make some moves, people will really think I'm dead."

Cheng Xinzhan shook his head as he listened. The first few were alright, except for the Blood God Child, whose powerful magic was beyond Changmei's ability to kill, leaving him only the option of sealing him. The others, like the Demon Corpse Valley Chen, the Five Poison Heavenly King, and the Heart-Piercing Monk, were all severely injured and had their magic weapons confiscated; they all needed time to recover after being unsealed. Why was this one simply sealed in a cave? Such carelessness was truly a disaster for future generations. Was it because they were already close to ascension and it was done hastily?
However, now that the demon has broken free of its seal, the reason is no longer important.

Cheng Xinzhan turned his head and said,

"Master Shizheng, it's quite a coincidence that we're about to join forces against an enemy upon our first meeting."

Upon hearing this, Master Zou was taken aback, then smiled and nodded. He had originally thought that the evenly matched situation wouldn't escalate into a fight, but since Mr. Guangfa wanted to test his skills, he would gladly oblige.

Cheng Xinzhan made the first move, two beams of light shooting from his eyes, transforming into two flying swords, one golden and one purple, which shot straight at the demon opposite him. Master Shizheng immediately followed, his figure dissipating and returning to nine sword leaves, which flew forward.

"You go keep watch, I'll deal with this little Taoist priest!"

The devil said to the giant beside him.

Hearing this commanding tone, the giant, remembering his past as a renowned senior figure in the South China Sea, didn't take it to heart. He knew this man wanted to make a name for himself and demonstrate his prowess, so he simply grinned and offered a word of advice.
"That man is no ordinary Taoist priest. Despite his youth, he is actually a leader of the current region. The Five Poison Heavenly Kings and Poison Dragon Venerable of Dianwen all died at his hands. I just heard that he was running a business in Wuliang Mountain. I don't know how he ended up here. Senior, you'd better be careful."

After saying that, the giant changed his form, transforming back into a red cross, and took the initiative to meet the blade of grass.

"Hmph, Venerable Poison Dragon, is it even worth mentioning a nobody you've never heard of?"

The devilish devil responded to the giant's warning with a cold snort. However, while he appeared indifferent, alarm bells were ringing in his mind. He hadn't heard of the Poison Dragon Venerable, but he knew of the Five Poison Heavenly Kings of Wuliang Mountain—they were quite capable, having repeatedly escaped death from Longbrow's clutches. How could such a figure have died at this man's hands?
Seeing the two flying swords coming, and noticing the rich Yin-Yang Dharma intent and fierce aura on them, he dared not be careless and summoned another magic weapon.

The demon conjured a wooden box. Upon opening the lid, a cloud of bloody, malevolent energy surged forth, rising into the sky, accompanied by agonizing screams and cries. Inside the box were seven small blades neatly arranged: a needle, a hook, an awl, a knife, a chisel, a thorn, and a saw. Each was small, ranging from three inches to a foot in length, gleaming coldly, and stained with blood; they appeared to be a complete set of torture instruments.

Chou Po flicked his hand in the box, and all seven instruments of torture flew out, transforming into seven streaks of light that met the two flying swords, "Tao Du" and "You Du".

Upon seeing this, Cheng Xinzhan frowned. First, he used human skulls as nets, then human skin as banners, and now he uses blood-stained torture instruments as weapons. How many people has this demon killed in order to refine treasures?

Damn it!

The evil devil, notorious for his ferocity, was certainly not one to passively endure a beating. After unleashing seven torture blades, he continued his spellcasting with the human skin banner. He pointed at the banner, and the three human skins swelled up simultaneously, spewing thunder. The three thunderbolts, each a different color—black, purple, and red—were as large as millstones, and struck towards Cheng Xinzhan with far greater force than the one that had struck Shen Zhaoming earlier.

"Little Taoist priest, behold my thunder magic!"

This old demon went all out from the start. Although he kept calling out "little Taoist priest," his attacks were exceptionally fierce.

When Cheng Xinzhan saw the lightning strike, instead of dodging, he faced it head-on. Hearing the demon's arrogant words, he chuckled and said with a sneer,
"How dare you talk about thunder magic?"

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(End of this chapter)